Fasteners for doors of cabinets and the like



eh. 7, 19%? HAS-[H ET AL 3302365 FASTENERS FOR DOORS OF CABINETS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 15, 1964 United States Patent Ofiice 3,362,965 Patented Feb. 7, 1957 3,302,965 FASTENERS FUR DOORS F CABINETS AND THE LIKE Yngve Gunner Hasth, Vastermalm, Ransta, Sweden, and Axel Thore "Wesstrtim, Sala, Sweden; said Wesstrtim assignor to said Hasth Filed Feb. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 344,671

Claims priority, application weden, June 13, 1963,

6,546/63 7 Claims. (Cl. 29276) The invention relates to a fastener for the doors of cabinets and similar pieces of furniture, especially kitchen cupboards or wardrobes built-in as a permanent part of the kitchen or the room in question, but also in connection with movable pieces of furniture, such as separate cabinets, bookshelves, hutches, bedside tables etc.

In general, such fasteners comprise two latch members for mutual engagement, which are attachable each to a respective one of the two elements comprising the door and the wall of the cabinet or other piece of furniture, viz. one latch member at the wall adjacent the door opening and the other latch member at the inside of the door; One of said well-known latch members can be a rotatable latch or a springpressed push bolt, but then the fastener is rather expensive and moreover the procedure of mounting the same is time-consuming as it is necessary to make a recess at least in one of said two elements.

For avoiding these disadvantages, fasteners of a different type have been suggested, in which one of the latch members is elastic in itself and yields to the other latch member upon closing of the door, thereby entering elastically into interlocking engagement with the same. Several structures of this type are known, but in no prior structure the fastener has been capable of reliably holding the door in an exact position of closure. Either the fastener has been designed for holding the door only against outward movements, but then the door could perform also a small inward movement against the wall of the cabinet, thereby allowing a vibrating rattle, or the fastener certainly has been designed for holding the door against movements in both directions, but this could not be attained in a reliable way. Anyhow, the door when closing could strike the wall rather hard, causing a disturbing clatter, or could bound-off the wall into opened position. Moreover, when mounting the fastener it is difiicult to get enough place for the same within the narrow spaces which are available in the cabinets recently developed and used, and especially the elastic latch member requires a certain space for its operation.

The main object of the invention is to create an improved fastener of the elastic latch member type, through which the closed door is held in an exact and fixed position, not only against outward movements, but also against inward movements in such way that the fastener in itself when properly mounted will secure a positively determined stop position for the closing movement of the door shortly before the door would strike the wall of the cabinet. A related object of the invention is to produce a fastener which is easily adjustable to its intended position so as to provide the desired closing pressure and to provide for correction in the event of shrinkage of the door.

In the fastener constituting the subject matter of the invention the two latch members which are mounted each at a respective one of the two elements comprising the door and the wall of the cabinet or other piece of furniture, are in well-known manner attachable to surfaces perpendicular to each other, viz. the elastic latch member at the inside of the door and the other latch member at the wall surface confining the door opening, and a preferred embodiment of the invention presents the following novel features. The latch member attachable to the door is an angularly bent elastic bar having one leg at-' ta-chable to the inside of the door, substantially horizontally and alongside the same, and the other leg supporting two projections which are made integrally with the' bar and are disposed behind each other in the direction of door closing, one projection being located at the free end of the leg and the other projection being located near the top of the angle. The other latch member attachable to the wall of the cabinet comprises a shoulder which at the side adapted to face the interior of the piece of furniture is formed with a locking surface cooperating with that projection of thebar which is adapted to be remote from the inside of the door, to hold the door against opening movements, the same shoulder having at the side adapted to face the front of the piece of furniture a stop surface cooperating with that projection of the bar which is adapted to lie nearest to the inside of the door, to positively limit the inward movement of the door.

The operation of the fastener according to said embodiment of the invention is substantially as follows. At the closing of the door the locking projection at the free end of the elastic bar initially slides over the shoulder, the free leg of said bar elastically deflecting for the shoulder. Then the stop projection at the top of the angle strikes the stop surface on the shoulder and arrests the closing movement in a determined position, from which a continued inward movement of the door is not possible and in which also the locking projection engages behind the shoulder in contact with the locking surface of the same. The stresses upon the elastic bar, occurring when the stop projection on said bar strikes the stop surface on the shoulder, are taken up by a relatively short portion of the elastic bar near to the attachment leg of the same, said leg hearing against the door under the action of the blow of the door. Because the position of closure of the door is determined exclusively by the fastener itself, which catches and stops the door shortly before it would strike the wall of the cabinet, not only the clattering is avoided, but also the advantage is attained that the fastener can be used also in connection with doors which are made without an overlapping edge. It should also be observed that the shoulder attached to the wall of the cabinet requires only a quite limited space and protrudes only inconsiderably from the surface of the wall of the cabinet, while the protruding elastic bar on the door is completely removed when the door has been opened, so that one cannot get caught on any of the latch members when reachinginto the interior of the cabinet.

While according to the invention only one of the two cooperating stop surfaces on the shoulder and the stop projection, respectively, could be substantially perpendicular to the direction of door closing, it is preferred to have both the stop surface on the shoulder and the cooperating-surface on the stop projection extending substantially perpendicular to the direction of door closing for securing a well defined stop for the door closing movement. Furthermore, according to a further feature of the invention the height of the shoulder preferably but not necessarily increases from the stop surface to the locking surface, the upperside of the shoulder sloping from the locking surface to the stop surface, for the purpose of obtaining a more soft operation at the closing of the door. Then, the leg supporting the two projections should be substantially parallel to the upperside of the shoulder, enclosing an acute angle with the other leg of the bar, so that the stop projection on the bar can be made short.

The cabinets can be delivered together with the fastener members mounted in their proper positions, which are determined by the aid of any suitable implement of jig type for marking the locations for the fixing screws, but preferably it should also be possible to adjust the position of the bar at the location where the cabinet is to be permanently built-in or movably placed. For the purpose of creating such adjustment facility a clamping plate is provided for clamping the attachment leg of the bar to the door, said plate having apertures for fixing screws, and a groove provided in its underside for receiving said leg. Thus, the attachment leg in this case has no apertures for the fixing screws. The locations for the fixing screws on the door have been previously determined.

The above and further objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying draw- FIG. 1 is a horizontal cross-section through a door and the adjacent portion of the Wall of a cabinet together with a fastener according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. 7

FIG. 2 shows the bottom side (underside) of the clamping plate together with the elastic bar.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the shoulder attached to the edge of the wall at the door opening.

FIG. 4 is an end viewof the clamping plate, showing the form of the same when in a free condition.

FIG. 5 is a crosssection similar to FIG. 1, but showing the fastener in connection with a door without projecting border.

In the drawing, 1 designates the stationary frame of the door opening in the front wall of the cabinet, said frame being a part of the wall of the cabinet, 2 indicates the door of the cabinet, said door in this embodiment being an overlapping door, 3 is the hinges of the door, 4 the angularly bent elastic bar mounted on the door, 4a the locking projection and 4b the stop projection on the bar, 40 the attachment leg of the bar, 4d the other leg supporting said two projections, 5 the clamping plate, 6 the fixing screws for the clamping plate, 7 the shoulder mounted on the wall of the cabinet, and 8 the fixing screws for said shoulder.

The two projections 4a and 4b of the elastic bar 4 are facing the shoulder 7 when in closed position. The shoulder 7 can be formed by providing a recess in a plate, which recess forms the stop surface 7a on the shoulder, said stop surface being substantially perpendicular to the plate. The reference numeral 7b indicates the locking surface on the shoulder, provided for cooperation with the locking projection 4a. The reference numeral 70 indicates the sloping upperside of the shoulder, over which the locking projection 4a slides during the latter part of the closing movement of the door. The surface on the locking projection 4a, cooperating with the upperside 7c of the shoulder, should be curved, preferably circularly. In the position illustrated in FIG. 1, the locking projection 4a engages behind the shoulder 7, while the stop projection 4b is contacting the stop surface 7a of the shoulder 7, acting from the front side. Between the door and the front wall of the cabinet, there is a small space A. Evidently, such clattering noise is eliminated that otherwise can occur when the door strikes directly against the wall of the cabinet. Moreover, the locking projection 4a and the stop projection 4b form between themselves a pocket in which the shoulder is exactly fitting. Thus, although the pocket is provided on the elastic bar attached to the door, a reliable holding of the door in both directions is secured and the closed door cannot rattle.

The attachment leg 4c of the bar 4 is of a substantially rectangular crosssection and has a sliding fit in the groove 5a in the underside of the clamping plate 5, in which the two apertures for the fixing screws 6 are provided. The location for these fixing screws in the door as well as the location for the fixing screws 8 in the wall of the cabinet is determined by means of a suitable marking implement of jig type. When the clamping plate is in free condition, viz. not clamped tightly against the door, the underside of said plate is slightly convex as shown in FIG. 4, the side walls of the groove 5a diverging from the bottom of the groove towards the convex underside. In this condition the attachment leg 40 can be displaced easily in the groove for adjusting the position of the bar 4. The adjustment procedure is carried ,out while the door is in part open, and by trial until the locking projection 4a moves easily over the bottom of the recess forming the shoulder 7. When this position has been found, the clamping plate 5 is tightly clamped against the door by means of the screws 6. Thereby the convex underside of the clamping plate 5 is rendered straight and the side walls of the groove 5a are brought closer to each other, so that the attachment leg 40 is firmly clamped between the same. To a certain degree the attachment leg 4c is held also against the bottom of the groove 5a. The clamping plate 5 as well as the bar 4 with the projections 4a, 4b should be made each as a moulded the shoulder 7 should be made as a moulded (pressed)' body of a plastic, for instance a polyamide plastic (nylon).

While the invention has been described and illustrated in connection with a preferred embodiment it should be understood that many modifications are possible within the scope of the appendant claims, as apparent to everyone skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. A fastener for doors of cabinets and similar pieces of furniture, said fastener comprising two latch members for mutual engagement, which are attached each to a respective one of the two elements comprising the door and the wall of the cabinet or other piece of furniture, at surfaces perpendicular to each other, the latch member attached to the door being more elastic than the other member so as to yield elastically to the other latch member upon closing of the door and thereby entering into interlocking engagement with the same, the latch member attached to the door being an integrally made elastic bar having an angularly bent portion to provide a first attaclnnent leg attached to the inside of the door alongside the same and having a relatively long extension in a plane perpendicular to a hinged edge of the door, and a second leg supporting two projections which are integral with said bar and are disposed one behind the other in the direction of door closing, one of said projections being located on the outer face of said second leg near said angularly bent portion, and the other pro ection extending inwardly in the direction toward which the inside of the door faces when closed, the latch member attached to the wall comprising a shoulder which at the side adapted to face the interior of the piece of furniture is formed with a locking surface cooperating with said otherprojection of said bar to hold the door against outward opening movements, said shoulder having, at the side facing the front of the piece of furniture, a stop surface cooperating with said first projection of the bar, to limit the inward movement of the door, the height of said shoulder increasing from the stop surface to the locking surface, the upperside of said shoulder sloping from the locking surface to the stop surface, and the leg of the bar supporting said two projections, being substantially parallel to the upperside of said shoulder and enclosing an acute angle with the attachment leg of the bar.

2. A fastener for doors of cabinets and similar furni ture, according to claim 1, and a clamping plate for clamping the attachment leg of the bar to the door, said plate having apertures for fixing screws, and a groove provided in its underside for receiving said leg.

3. A fastener for doors of cabinets and similar pieces of furniture, said fastener comprising two latch members for mutual engagement, which are attached each to a respective one of the two elements comprising the door and the wall of the cabinet or other piece of furniture, at surfaces perpendicular to each other, the latch member attached to the door being more elastic than the other member so as to yield elastically to the other latch member upon closing of the door and thereby entering into interlocking engagement with the same, the latch member attached to the door being an integrally made elastic bar having an angularly bent portion to provide a first attachment leg attached to the inside of the door alongside the same and having a relatively long extension in a plane perpendicular to the hinged edge of the door and a second leg supporting two projections which are integral with said bar and are disposed one behind the other in the direction of door closing, one of said projections 'being located on the outer face of said second leg near said angularly bent portion, and the other projection extending inwardly in the direction toward which the inside of the door faces when closed, the latch member attached to the wall comprising a shoulder which at the side adapted to face the interior of the piece of furniture is formed with a locking surface cooperating with said other projection of said bar to hold the door against outward opening movements, said shoulder having, at the side facing the front of the piece of furniture, a stop surface cooperating with said first projection of the bar, to limit the inward movement of the door, and clamping plate for clamping the attachment leg of the bar to the door, said plate having apertures for fixing screws, and a groove provided in its underside for receiving said leg, and in which said clamping plate is made of a plastic of elastic nature, and when in a free condition, has a slightly convex underside, said groove having diverging side walls, said underside being rendered straight when the plate is clamped against the door and the walls of the groove thereby brought closer to each other.

4. A fastener for doors of cabinets and similar pieces of furniture, said fastener comprising two latch members for mutual engagement, which are attached each to a respective one of the two elements comprising the door and the wall of the cabinet or other piece of furniture, at surfaces perpendicular to each other, the latch member attached to the door being more elastic than the other member so as to yield elastically to the other latch member upon closing of the door and thereby entering into interlocking engagement with the same, the latch member attached to the door being an integrally made elastic :bar having an angularly bent portion to provide a first attachment leg attached to the inside of the door alongside the same and having a relatively long extension in a plane perpendicular to the hinged edge of the door and a second leg supporting two projections which are integral with said bar and are disposed one behind the other in the direction of door closing, one of said projections being located on the outer face of said second leg near said angularly bent portion, and the other projection extending inwardly in the direction toward which the inside of the door faces when closed, the latch member attached to the wall comprising a shoulder which at the side adapted to face the interior of the piece of furniture is formed with a locking surface cooperating with said other projection of said bar to hold the door against outward opening movements, said shoulder having, at the side facing the front of the piece of furniture, a stop surface cooperating with said first projection of the bar, to limit the inward movement of the door, the height of said shoulder increasing from the stop surface to the locking surface, the upperside of said shoulder sloping from the locking surface to the stop surface, and the leg of the bar supporting said two projections, being substantially parallel to the upperside of said shoulder and enclosing an acute angle with the attachment leg of the bar, and a clamping place for clamping the attachment leg of the bar to the door, said plate having apertures for fixing screws, and a groove provided in its underside for receiving the leg, said clamping plate being made of a plastic or elastic nature, and when in free condition, having a slightly convex underside, said groove having diverging side walls, said underside being rendered straight when the plate is clamped against the door and the walls of the groove are brought closer to each other.

5. A fastener as claimed in claim 1, and in which the stop surface on said shoulder and the cooperating surface on the stop projection are substantially perpendicular to the direction of door closing.

6. A fastener as claimed in claim 1, and in which the said bar, with its two projections, is a moulded body of a plastic of elastic nature.

7. A fastener as claimed in claim 1, and in which the shoulder is a moulded body of a plastic material.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 985,185 2/1911 Lee 292-76 1,723,305 8/1929 Sipe 16-86 2,946,612 7/ 1960 Ahlgren. 3,151,899 10/1964 Kelley.

FOREIGN PATENTS 58,857 6/1941 Denmark. 148,811 2/ 1955 Sweden.

EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

J. R. MOSES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FASTENER FOR DOORS OF CABINETS AND SIMILAR PIECES OF FURNITURE, SAID FASTENER COMPRISING TWO LATCH MEMBERS FOR MUTUAL ENGAGEMENT, WHICH ARE ATTACHED EACH TO A RESPECTIVE ONE OF THE TWO ELEMENTS COMPRISING THE DOOR AND THE WALL OF THE CABINET OR OTHER PIECE OF FURNITURE, AT SURFACES PERPENDICULAR TO EACH OTHER, THE LATCH MEMBER ATTACHED TO THE DOOR BEING MORE ELASTIC THAN THE OTHER MEMBER SO AS TO YIELD ELASTICALLY TO THE OTHER LATCH MEMBER UPON CLOSING OF THE DOOR AND THEREBY ENTERING INTO INTERLOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SAME, THE LATCH MEMBER ATTACHED TO THE DOOR BEING AN INTEGRALLY MADE ELASTIC BAR HAVING AN ANGULARLY BENT PORTION TO PROVIDE A FIRST ATTACHMENT LEG ATTACHED TO THE INSIDE OF THE DOOR ALONGSIDE THE SAME AND HAVING A RELATIVELY LONG EXTENSION IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO A HINGED EDGE OF THE DOOR, AND A SECOND LEG SUPPORTING TWO PORJECTIONS WHICH ARE INTEGRAL WITH SAID BAR AND ARE DISPOSED ONE BEHIND THE OTHER IN THE DIRECTION OF DOOR CLOSING, ONE OF SAID PROJECTIONS BEING LOCATED ON THE OUTER FACE OF SAID SECOND LEG NEAR SAID ANGULARLY BENT PORTION, AND THE OTHER 